Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola could recall defender Nicolas Otamendi, who served a one game-ban at Leicester.
However, top scorer Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho are still suspended, while Vincent Kompany remains injured.
Watford defender Younes Kaboul could be involved after returning to training following a calf injury.
Midfielder Roberto Pereyra is available again following his one-match ban. However, Valon Behrami is doubtful because of illness.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last six league meetings with Watford (W4, D2), and won both fixtures against them last season.
- The Hornets’ last league victory over City came in the second tier in March 1989.
Manchester City
- Manchester City have won just four of their last 15 matches in all competitions (D6, L5). This comes after they won their first 10 games in a row under Pep Guardiola.
- City are without a win in their last four league games at home (D3, L1). They could go five matches without a victory for the first time since their run of six in a row between December 2007 and March 2008.
- They have lost back-to-back league matches – Guardiola has only lost three successive league games as a manager once before, when he was Bayern Munich boss in May 2015.
- Only Crystal Palace, Hull and Sunderland (one) have kept fewer clean sheets than Manchester City (two) in the Premier League this season.
Watford
- Watford have gone three away games without a win in the league (D1, L2).
- They conceded nine goals and allowed their opponents 20 shots on target in their last two Premier League away matches (losing 3-1 to West Brom and 6-1 to Liverpool).
- The Hornets have had 11 different goalscorers in the Premier League this season, a joint-high alongside Liverpool.
- Troy Deeney is one short of 100 goals for Watford in all competitions. He has been stuck on 99 since 1 October, having failed to score in his last eight appearances.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: “Here you have to control the second ball.
“Without that you cannot survive. Most of the times, the ball is high than on the floor and it is uncertain. When it is there no one knows what will happen.
“The ball is more in the air than on the floor here. You have to control that.”
Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri: “I said this to my players: ‘If we put ourselves in front of our opponents we can fight against any Premier League team. If we are 100% ready, we can play against any team in the Premier League and battle for the three points.’
“This is something that gives us a lot of positivity before the game.”
